Artificially colored granules and method of making same



Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES ARTIFICIALLY COLORED GRANULES AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Marion H. Veazey, Rutherford, N. J., assignor to The Patent and Licensing Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts No Drawing. Application July 31, 1934, Serial No.- 737,774

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the production of artificially colored granules and more particularly to the production of mineral granules artificially colored, to be used as a surfacing for, materials subject to exposure out of doors.

In its more specific aspect the invention is concerned with the production of artificially colored granules adapted for use as a surfacing for sheet material widely used as roofing, siding and for similar purposes in building construction.

In the production of prepared roofing and siding the base material which is usually a sheet of fibrous felt, is saturated and coated with asphaltic material. The asphaltic coating layer is provided with a wearing surface of mineral granules such as crushed slate, slag or the like, this layer of mineral granulesserving as a wearing surface and also as a decorative finish for the material.

In more recent years variousmethods have been suggested for the production or imposition of artificial colors on the surfaces of the granules where the base granules are not of the desired colors, for the purpose of. making it possible largely to extend the range of colors or shades obtainable, where otherwise the range is limited granules by means of soluble silicate, and more particularly sodium silicate. The sodium sillcats in these processes serves as a fixing agent for binding the pigment to the granules, the soluble form of the silicate being transformed in the coloring-process into an insoluble state. The conversion of the soluble silicate into an insoluble form can be accomplished in several ways, principally two in number, and depending large- 1y upon the character of the base granules that are being colored. In one of these methods which has been commercially practiced the conversion takes place under the influence of heat treatment at temperatures within the range of roasting temperatures varying. from 900 to 1500 F. In such an operation the insolubilizationof the sodium silicate may be considered to result purely from the heat treatment. In the other of the aforementioned methods-the insolubilization of the sodium silicate is accomplished by chemical action rather than by a heat treatment. The insolubilization by chemical action aifords considerable advantage over the first mentioned 'ble manner. havealso been carried min the coloring of granules and other granules containing calcareous or siliceous constituents which, under the conditions of operation are more or less reactive towards the soluble silicate, have been utilized in this way, making it possible to produce artificially colored granules in which the soluble silicate becomes insolubilized at relatively low temperatures, say below 600 F., in a commercially feasi- Such low temperature operations ules which are not in themselves reactive towards the soluble silicate as is the case with basic slag granules, by incorporating in the mixture of sodium silicate and pigment with which the granules are coated, another reagent which, under the conditions of operation, will cause or hasten the insolubilization of the silicate? In the practice of. either of the methods thus generally described, the base granules are introduced into a mixer with the requisite quantities of the sodium silicate and pigment and/or other agents that may be incorporated, the mixer being continued in operation until the surfaces of the granules become completely and uniformly coated with the coloring mixture whereupon the coated granules are passed through a rotary kiln in order to effect the drying and insolubilization of the coating and the fixing of the color upon the surfaces of the granules. While the practice of the methods to which I have alluded results, when properly conducted, in the substantially complete insolubilization of the soluble silicate to the point that the pigment is firmly fixed and bound to the granules, the granules colored -by these processes have a tendency to bloom".

55 F. or less, there appears, when the rain or moisture evaporates, a white powder on the surfaceof the granules. This powder or white coloration is soluble in water and is washed off the surface by rain and therefore is not in any sense a true or permanent discoloration, but it nevertheless renders the material colored with such granules objectionable to the user and difiicultly saleable. As a matter of fact, the appearance of the white powder to which I have here given the designation "blooming" frequently occurs in shingles surfaced with such granules while the shingles are still in the bundle in which they are shipped from the factory and before the shingles are applied to the roof or side wall, if the conditions under which the bundle has been shipped or stored have been such as to allow substantial moisture or rain to contact with the granules.

This "blooming" efiect, i. e. the appearance of a deposit of white powder on the surface of the 7 material after it has been exposed to moisture and the moisture has subsequently evaporated is, as already stated, only a temporary condition. That is to say, the whitish powder that appears is eventually washed ofif on continued exposure to rain, but it reappears with gradually diminishing intensity and finally becomes practically undiscernible. Nevertheless the appearance of the whitish powder on the surface of shingles covered with granules colored by these processes} or reduced to such a minimum degree as to make the effect unobjectionable under odinary conditions of use.

In approaching this problem of preventing the blooming" effect described, I have conducted extensive experiments in order to ascertain the .cause and the mechanism of the blooming" effeet and as a result thereof I have devised means for preventing or minimizing this effect, which I shall hereinafter describe in greater detail.

From the experiments which I have conducted it appears quite conclusively that the blooming" effect is due primarily to the leaching out of sodium carbonate from the film of the coating material deposited on the surfaces 'of the granules. When the sodium carbonate is thus leached out the subsequent evaporation of water or moisture results in the carbonate crystallizing out as a hydrated carbonate, namely, the decahydrate, NasCOszlOHzO. Thishydrated form of the carbonate crystallizes out particularly at temperatures of around 55 F. or less. The foregoing accounts for the fact that the blooming effect is more easily noticeable during the cold season of the year than during the warmer season, or in warmer climates.

The decahydrate form of the sodium carbonate is ordinarily an ei'ilorescent salt and as a result, it gives up most of its water of crystallization on continued exposure to air which allows the mono.. hydrated sodium carbonate to remain as an opaque, very bulky deposit. The amount of decahydrate salt thatcrystallizes depends not -only upon the amount of sodium carbonate leached out of the film but upon the temperature 7 prevailing during crystallization; the greater the amount of the decahydrate that is formed, the bulkier will be the deposit of the monohydrate when the decahydrate subsequently undergoes its eiiiorescence.

In addition to the sodium carbonate present in the coloring film on the surface of the granules, there. is also present in the film certain amounts of sodium hydroxide which, when it is leached out on contact with moisture, slowly reacts with carbon dioxide of the air, forming sodium carbonate, and the sodium carbonate thus formed appearsalso to be a contributing factor to the blooming" efiect described. Inasmuch as the sodium hydroxide must be converted to carbonate in order for it to participate in the formation of bloom and in view of the fact that sodium hydroxide is highly soluble in water, its influence will be largely a matter of conditions prevailing during the first stages of exposure. Thus if dry weather prevails for a long time considerable conversion to carbonate may take place. On the other hand if subjected to the action of rain, it appears that sodium hydroxide may be largely removed before being converted to carbonate.

Thus its influence is secondary and more or less casual-the major effect being 'due to the presence of carbonate already formed when the granules are exposed to the conditions of temperature subsequently evaporates, and upon the chemical property of eillorescence possessed by the crystals.

The white deposit which I have termed bloom-. ing that is thus formed on, the surfaces of the oxidepresent in the fiue gases with which the granules are dried and brought to the stage of insolubilized silicate. The amount of the "blooming" isshown by the tests which I have conducted to be directly related to the quantity of sodium carbonate and hydroxide which can be extracted in the cold from the surfaces of the granules. To distinguish between granules which will be subject we heavy blooming and those which will show only a slight blooming, samples of the granules need only be thoroughly wetted with water and then dried rapidly at low temperatures. Specifically, the test is carried out as follows:

' 50 grams of granules are placed in a standard Petrie dish of about 10 cms. diameter and 1 cm. depth, covered with approximately to cos. of distilled water and allowed to stand at room temperatures for 48 hours. In case of excessive evaporation more water is added so that the granules are at all times soaking. At the expiration of 48 hours the dish is placed in a chamber in which the air is kept circulating by a small fan and maintained at a temperature of to 50 F. until the granules are dry.

Those on which the white deposit is heavyindicate that the granules on exposure will suffer heavy blooming while the samples on which and sodium hydroxide is below the figures mentioned, respectively, the "blooming will'be slight or negligible.

In considering the causes for the presence of sodium carbonate in the film of the colored granules made by the processes referred to, I have found, by testing granules in the course of their passage through the kiln in which they are dried and the soluble silicate transformed into the insoluble state, that substantially all of the carbon dioxide that enters into reaction with 'sodium hydroxide present in the silicate is picked up or absorbed while the granules are still wet and before they have lost their water, the alkali apparently uniting with the carbon dioxide of the flue gases more rapidly in the wet state. At any rate, it appears that a large share of the carbon dioxide is absorbed substantially immediately after the wet granules enter the kiln from the mixer in which the granules are coated with the desired pigment and soluble silicate. The comparatively little absorption of carbon dioxide that occurs beyond this point may be explained either by the setting or gelling of the silicate, which renders the film unable to absorb more carbon dioxide or by the fact that the surfaces of the silicate films may have become saturated with carbon dioxide so that no further absorption of carbon dioxide takes place in spite of the fact that some moisture'may still be present in the film. In any event it appears that the greater the carbon dioxide absorption the larger is the amount of sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide that maybe extracted from the finished granules by cold water and consequently the greater is the tendency for the finished granules to bloom". This has been further confirmed by tests made'when granules .were prepared in accordance with the usual methods that I have described but subjected to the necessary temperature in an electrical muille furnace, in which case the finished granules show no tendency to bloom; whereas; granules coated with precisely the same composition but subjected to the necessary temperature in an ordinary directly fired rotary kiln, in which case considerable quantities of carbon dioxide are necessarily .present, theflnished granules normally bloom" badly.

This effect occurs when thesfiue gases contain carbon dioxide in quantities exceeding three per \cent, although no exact minimum quantity can may be eliminated. Although washing of the granules after they have been completely proceased in order to remove all soluble material would prevent blooming, such an expedient would necessitate the installation of costly equipment as well as expense in the operation thereof.

I have found that when the granules coated with the desired mixture of pigment and soluble silicate are predried in the absence of carbon dioxide before being subjected to the elevated temperature .necessary for effecting insolubilization of the sodium silicate, and thereafter retorted in the usual way, the processed granules will show only a trace or a slight amount of blooming.

I have found further that the expedientof predrying the coated granules in the absence of carbon dioxide before subjecting them to the elevated temperature necessary for effecting insolubilization of the silicate need not be carried to the point of complete removal of moisture from the wet mix. The reasons for this will appear from the considerations which I have outlined, namely, that absorption of carbon dioxide by the silicate film is retarded or prevented beyond the stage where sufficient moisture has been removed to bring about a setting or gelling of the silicate film. When the moisture content has thus been sufiiciently reduced or the film has otherwise been gelled in an atmosphere free of carbon dioxide so that the film is substantially unable to absorb carbon dioxide, the formation of sodium carbonate by reaction of the alkali present in the film with the carbon dioxide present in the flue gases of the kiln through which the granules are subsequently passed is prevented or substantially reduced.

Any means of gelling the silicate as by heating alone for predrying of the same, or by chemical reagents which react to produce a coating sub stantially unable to pick up carbon dioxide will accomplish the desired result.

From its broad aspect, therefore, the invention comprises the step of predrying or pregelling the silicate coating on granules in the absence of carsolubilizing temperature in a kiln so designedthat it is heated only indirectly, that is to say in an atmosphere free of substantial amounts of carbon dioxide during the retorting of the granules.

The most economical means, however, of carrying out the invention is that first named, namely, the predrying of the granules in the absence of carbon dioxide before retorting them to the insclubilizing temperatures, as this predrying can be carried on in steam jacketed screw conveyors or mixers of the well known type, or by means of air heated indirectly, or by steam heated rotary kilns which are employed for removing moisture at low temperatures.

In an ordinary operation illustrating my invention for the production of green granules from a trap rock base, the following proportions are illustrative:

Trap roch granules e "-100 Sodium silicate 6 Chromium oxide 1 The chromium oxide may ,befigffispended in the silicate and the pigment mucite suspension may then be mixed with the granules in any suitable form of mixer, or the granules and other Parts ingredients may be separately introduced into the mixer, and the mixercontinued in operation until the granules become completely and uniformly coated with the pigment-silicate suspension. The thus coated granules may then be passed through a steam-jacketed screw conveyor or through a rotary kiln which is steam heated or otherwise indirectly heated in order to predry the coating in the absence of carbon dioxide. Thereupon the predried granules may be passed through a rotary kiln of an ordinary direct fired type and brought to the necessary temperature, say 500 to 600 F., for effecting insolubilization of the silicate and permanent fixation of the color deposit on the surfaces of the granules.

It is to be understood, of course, that the foregoing example is given for illustration only and that the invention is not limited-in its application to. the particular type of pigment or to the nature of the base granule employed, since my experiments have indicated that so far as the blooming" effect is concerned, it is quite independent of either of those two factors, but rather is dependent upon the particular crystal form that the soluble material in the insolubilized film takes when the finished granules as ordinarily produced are subjected to water or moisture and subsequently dried, and upon the eiilorescent property of the crystals deposited upon the subsequent drying. I

Another method which I have found for obviating the blooming" effect shown by granules which are artificially colored by processes which depend upon the use of sodium silicate for causing fixation of the pigment, consists in adding to the mixture of the silicate and pigment with which the granules are to be coated, certain types of acidic substances or such of their salts as will substantially prevent formation of any bloomforming eillorescent salts when exposed to the weather. Such materials as boric acid, and calcium borate have been effectively used in this way. If boric acid is added to the formula given above, in the proportion of {Ito A; part, the granules coated with such a mixture may then be retorted in the usual way in an ordinary direct fired rotary kiln and the blooming of the finished granules is thus very much reduced if not entirely eliminated.

I am not fully certain as to the manner in which these substances act in preventing the ,blooming when used in the manner described.

However, from the experiments which I have conducted it is believed that they may act by inhibiting crystallization of sodium carbonate in the decahydrate or other form when the finished granules are subjected to water or moisture action; or through their presence in the mix with which the granules are coated they may prevent the absorption of carbon dioxide during the passage-of the coated granules through the kiln in contact with the,fiue gases, or they may be acting in both ways.

Still another method of preventing the blooming which I have found eifective is to treat the finished granules as made by the ordinary for-.-

' mula and in the ordinary way with substances which neutralize substantially all the sodium carbonate present in the film as a result of reaction between sodium hydroxide and carbon dioxide of the flue gases in the kiln. The amount of sodium carbonate prele-Mn granules exhibiting a moderate to heavMqon-l on exposure generally appr'oximates 0.1% 0.3% by weight of the granules. Such granules may therefore be treated which do not produce water soluble bloom-forming eiilorescent salts or for some other reason deposit whitish films.

These neutralizing agents are preferably used by spraying the granules with a water solution thereof as the granules pass from the lower end .of the retorting kiln and pass into the cooling tower through which the granules are usually passed in order to cool them down to the temperature requisite for further handling. When the reagent is used in this way it is necessary to spray the liquid so .that it makes the most emcient contact with each granule. The strength of the solution should be adjusted with relation to the carbonate content of granules and the amount of aqueous solution sprayed upon the granules should be adjusted in relation to the temperature of the granules leaving the kiln. In this way the spraying may be carried out under such conditions that all of the water is evaporated by the heat of the granules, thereby eliminating the necessity for a separate drying step. In carrying out this procedure, granules leaving the kiln at approximately 600 F. may be sprayed with a to 8% citric acid solution at a temperature of approximately 160 F. at such a rate that approximately-2 to 8 pounds of citric acid are used per ton of granules. In lieu of citric acid, tartaric, and similar acids which do not attack the pigment and do not form water soluble bloom-forming eiilorescent salts may be employed. While all of these acids appear to be efi'ective for preventing blooming when the finished granules are treated therewith in the manner stated. it may be that in certain instances the effect of the acid is due to something other than or in addition to neutralization of the carbonate and/or hydroxide present in the films, as for example, a tendency to inhibit the formation of bloom-forming salts.

It is possible to treat the granules cold or at a reasonably elevated temperature with an aqueous solution of certain acids including those above mentioned'in which case it is not necessary to the reaction products of the neutralization as would be the case if acids such as sulphuric were added one gallon of water containing about 3% pounds of formic, or a corresponding amount of acetic or nitric acid. The acid may be added without water, but the inclusion of water assists in the distribution of the acid and is advantageous so long as the quantity is kept below the amount which would cause the granules to become appreciably wet, i. e., wetenough to interi'ere with their elective application as a surfacing coated roofinglayer for asphalt It is to be understood that in certain instances it may be desirable to utilise, in combination, one

or. more of the several expedients which I have described. Thus, under certain conditions it may be advantageous to incorporate into the mix of soluble silicate and pigment with which the granules are to be coated,.an inhibiting reagent of the character described and to partially predry the coating on the granules in an atmosphere free of carbon dioxide in the manner previously described and thereupon to retort the granules in the usual way to eflect complete insolubilize.-

tion of the sodium silicate. Likewise it may be advantageous in certain instances to subject granules which have been predried in an atmosphere tree of carbon dioxide and then retorted in 1 the usual way in a direct fired kiln, to treatment with a spray of a water solution of the inhibiting reagent, such as boric acid or tartaric acid.

I claim as my invention: i v

I 1. The method of artificially coloring granules which comprises coating the granules with pigment and a sodium silicate, pregelling the chating in the substantial absence of carbon dioxide,

and thereafter heating the granules ,to temperat 4. The method of artificially coloring granules F which comprises coating the granuleswith pigment and a sodium silicate, drying said coating in the substantial absence of carbon dioxide and thereafter heating the granules to temperatures sumcient to insolubilize the silicate.

5. ,The method of artificially coloring granules which comprises coating the granules with pigment and sodium silicate, pregellingthe coating in an atmopshere substantially free of carbon dioxide and thereafter heating the granules to temperatures sufiicient to insolubilize the silicate.

6. The method of artificially coloring granules,

which comprises,coating the granules with pigment and sodium silicate, heating the granules in the absence of carbon dioxide until the said coating is impermeabilized against absorption of carbon dioxide and thereafter heating the granules to temperatures sumcient to insolubilize the silicate. a

7. The method of artificially coloring granules which comprises coating the granules with pi gment and sodium silicate, predrying the coated granules in an atmosphere substantially free of carbon dioxide whereby to cause gelling oi the silicate, and thereafter retorting the granules at temperatures sufiicient to insolubilize the silicate. 8. The method of artificially coloring granules which comprises coating the granules with a mixture of pigment, sodium silicate and a substance that does not react rapidly with the silicate and which prevents formation of an eiiiorescent salt, and heating the granules to temperatures sufiicient to insolubilize the silicate.

9. The method of artificially coloring granules which comprises coating the granules with a mixture of pigment, sodium silicate and a substance adapted to inhibit the formation of bloom-producing constituents, and heating the granules to temperatures sufilcient to insolubilize the silicate.

10. The method of artificially coloring granules which comprises coating the granules with a mixture of pigment, sodium silicate anda substance adapted to prevent sodium carbonate produced when the coated granules are retorted in the presence of carbon dioxide from amuming a bloom-forming condition. 7

11. The method of artificially coloring granule which comprises coating the'granules with a mixture of pigment, sodium silicate and boric acid, andheating the granules to temperatures suiiicient to insolubilize thesilicate and produce a substantially bloom-free coating on the granules.

12. The method of artificially coloring granules which comprises coating the granules with a mixture of pigment, sodium silicate and a substance adapted to inhibit the formation or bloom producing constituents, predrying said coating in the substantial absence of carbondioxidaand which comprises coating the granules, with a mixture of pigment, sodium silicate and boric acid,

predrying said coating in the substantial absence or carbon dioxide, and then heating the granules to temperatures sufilclent to insolubilize the sili- MARION H. VEAZEY.

cate. 

